


Trust

by deludedwriting



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Again, Alien Biology, Alien Character(s), Alien Zer0 (Borderlands), Angst with a Happy Ending, Atlas CEO Rhys, Fanboy Rhys (Borderlands), First Kiss, Fluff, Insecure Rhys, M/M, Misunderstandings, No Smut, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Zer0 (Borderlands), Other, Post-Borderlands 3 (Video Game), Quick Burn, Rhys is held prisoner, Scared Rhys (Borderlands), Shy Rhys (Borderlands), They/Them Pronouns for Zer0 (Borderlands), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Xenophilia, Zerhys - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22487716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deludedwriting/pseuds/deludedwriting
Summary: "Tell me what you see. / Will you remain my ally, / or will you leave me?"Zer0, as much as they hate to admit it, has been crushing for a while. They gather the courage to unmask themself before Rhys. For the first time in a long while, Zer0 stands face to face with another living creature..A short Zerhys fanfiction.Contains minor violence and language.
Relationships: Lorelei & Rhys & Zer0 (Borderlands), Rhys & Zer0 (Borderlands), Rhys/Zer0 (Borderlands)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 140





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm new at Ao3 so please be easy on me lol. This is my first fanfiction about The Babs™ so I hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zer0 comes back from Sanctuary to find... Well, not what they were expecting.

Zer0 had stayed in Sanctuary III after the Calypso twins' defeat. Not permanently, of course, because the assassin was always on the move. After being on the civilized Promethea for so long, they started to miss the sandy wastelands of Pandora.

Back at Atlas HQ, Rhys, Zer0's secret interest, had returned to his work. Stacks upon stacks of papers were piling upon the CEO's desk, and even then he was working his hide off. Business opportunities, job offers, and even sponsorship deals were thrown his way. To say he was tired would be a dramatic understatement.

Zer0, growing bored of their little confined space within Sanctuary, glanced at the "Wanted" posters strung along the wall. Every single paper had been stamped with the word "DEAD" in bright crimson paint. With their target jobs finished by the current Vault Hunters, they decided to return to Promethea. It was obvious that Rhys was needing their company, if only for a moment.

The two'd been talking through brief ECHO calls, checking up on one another. Over the past few weeks, Rhys had been growing more and more frustrated with his work. He could use Zer0's help with the minor jobs.

Speaking of, Zer0's ECHO device went off with a high pitched ring. They unstrapped their ECHO and answered the buzzing call, pulling up a bright holoscreen that flickered with Rhys' icon.

"Hey buddy.. You still on Sanctuary?" His voice crackled through the device and into Zer0's earpiece. The assassin looked back into their compact room, which was decorated with the possessions of former assassination targets.

"Yes. I was thinking / about returning to you. / I hope you won't mind." they replied in their usual haiku format. They heard a faint gasp on the other end, followed by the clearing of a throat.

"Um, yeah, of course! I mean, no I won't mind. Not at all. I have a few jobs available for you anyway. I'll see you there then? Uhk- _here_ , then?" Rhys stammered, tripping over his insomnia-induced words. They knew Rhys was a strange one, but he intrigued the assassin more than any other human could. He was... special, in a way.

"Then I will be there. / Tell me, are these easy jobs? / They tend to be such." Zer0 spoke as they made their way through the hallways of Sanctuary III and to the main deck.

"Yyeaahh.. Maybe? Not much is happening. If you could instead help me out with these papers, that'd be amazing.." They heard an exasperated sigh on Rhys' end.

"Unfortunately, / those are for you to finish." Zer0 stopped there, faltering in their words as they navigated to Promethea on the main console. After locating the brightly lit planet, they set the coordinates and felt the ship rumble as the thrusters started up.

"Maybe something else." they continued, watching the stars outside warp around the ship as it plunged into space, nearly knocking everyone off their feet in the process. Zer0 held their ground, but not before stumbling too.

"Huh? Oh you're cutting out.. What's happening over there?" Rhys' distant voice could be heard over brief static.

"Just transportation. / Nothing to worry about. / I'll be there shortly." they reassured him, clicking their earpiece to hang up the call. The ship slowed to a stop just outside of Promethea, which now looked beautiful without the hovering Maliwan dropships...

Except for one.

It was small, barely noticeable from a distance. It flickered languidly above the planet, watching with unseen eyes.

Ignoring it, Zer0 made their way down to the living quarters. Ellie's drop pod took too long to load up and the ship's fast travel station was already hooked up to Promethea's teleportation network. This was the quickest way to get to Rhys. They tapped a few times on the fast travel screen and felt the tight environment around them completely dissolve.

.

Promethea was a nice planet. Towering cities and skies of warring colors distracted those from the ratch-infested outskirts. Luckily, Zer0 immediately found themself in Atlas HQ, where soldiers nodded to them and granted the assassin VIP access.

Usually, the Atlas soldiers would be panicking if an _assassin_ came to the CEO's office. But after being buddy-buddy with him, the soldiers had learned not to mess with Zer0 and their mission giver.

As Zer0 approached the elevator, they clicked on their ECHO device and called Rhys. The thing rung for not even two seconds before a hurried click followed.

"Zer0? Wh--" Rhys' alarmed voice came from the earpiece, momentarily interrupted by a muffled whisper. Thankfully, the researcher Tannis installed the earpiece so that the little device could pick up the smallest noise. She was the only one who knew what Zer0 actually was... and Zer0 hoped to keep it that way.

Pausing, their mind ran back to Rhys, back to when they first met:

_"Y...You're really cool. I just wanted you to know that." Rhys fumbled with his Hyperion overcoat as Zer0 tried to process the compliment. Instead, the front of their pitch black visor displayed an emoticon: **" <3" **_

Zer0 shook their head, listening to the whispering from Rhys' end. It was quick and hushed, almost frighteningly so. Something wasn't right.

"Rhys? You are quiet. / I'm inside the headquarters. / Stay there; I'm coming." was all they said before rushing into the round elevator, unsheathing the hilt of their digistruct sword. The blinding blue glow of their trusted weapon illuminated the tiny elevator space as it ascended.

The lift was painfully slow.

Static crackled on Rhys' end as Zer0 looked out into the passing floors of the HQ. "No, Zer0, nevermind--a--rap-" Then the ECHO call cut out entirely.

Upon reaching Rhys' office, Zer0 dashed through the waiting room and the thin hallway, gripping their sword tighter. Thinking quick, they reached over and activated the Decepti0n skill on their belt, masking themself in a cloak of invisibility while a cobalt clone knelt in the hallway.

The skill was used frequently. It was a natural gift of their... species. Tannis had also implemented a device to keep track of it and the cooldown. Zer0 was everlastingly grateful for her genius work.

In the distance, they could spot two figures in Rhys' office. Rhys was the first in their line of sight. He was forced onto his knees, bound by his hands. A Maliwan pistol was being held against his temple by a woman clad in neon Maliwan colors.

"Katagawa will be remembered. I'll kill you and your little assassin. Once they get here." she muttered, pulling back the gun's top before aiming it back at the CEO's head. Zer0's eyes narrowed behind their helmet, an icon targeting in on the woman's critial points. Her head was only hooded; no armor covered it.

Zer0 raised their sword, the cloak sliding from their leaping form, and their visor glowed with their trademark **"0"** before the sword sliced clean through the woman's head. Her arm went limp, the pistol clattering to the ground beside a trembling Rhys.

"Assassinated. / What a satisfying word... / with five syllables." they spoke, yanking the sword from the human skull. Her blood poured from the injury, but only in thin streams. Zer0's kills were clean and quick, unlike the nasty Katagawa's who'd tried copying their tactics.

Her corpse collapsed against the corner of Rhys' desk, her hood falling back to reveal a black haired Asian woman, no doubtedly one of Katagawa's relatives. The assassin sheathed their sword and nonchalantly wiped their suit of any blood that spilled, which was little to none.

Zer0 knelt down beside Rhys and untied his wrists. The human rubbed at his hands and stretched out his sore fingers. His hair was messier than usual. Luckily, the Vault Hunters had convinced Rhys to shave that putrid "seige stache" once Katagawa was dead.

"Held hostage, again. / What am I to do with you? / You should've hinted." Zer0 let a softer lilt slip into their voice. Rhys was ominously silent. His eyes were downcast, watery.

"Rhys?" Zer0 called, to which the human leaned up and wrapped his arms around Zer0's gaunt figure. Faltering, not even one syllable could find its way from them. Instead, they returned the favor reluctantly. Their four-fingered digits swept over the fabric of Rhys' jacket.

"Thank you... For saving me. Again. I can't save myself for shit." Zer0 dithered at the odd use of a curse. Rhys wasn't one to curse unless it was serious.

"Of course. Do you have / work for me? Or was this a / scam? You've lied to me." Zer0 helped the man up and watched as he brushed himself off, glancing down to the corpse slumped over his desk. He grimaced.

"I'm sorry. I didn't have work for you. She told me to call you and bring you here... I was held at gunpoint, obviously." Rhys slicked back his hair, heaving an enormous sigh. The recent stress had pulled under his eyes, creating bags of faint purple.

"You need to rest now. / I will clean this mess for you. / I will then keep watch." Zer0 ushered him out of the office before calling up a janitor.

.

As Rhys went back to his work, Zer0 waited patiently by sitting at a burgundy sofa beside a towering bookcase. The office was nice and spacious; it was a major upgrade compared to their little room back on Sanctuary.

"How long had you been / tied up? Must have been awkward." Zer0 asked, startling the human from his reading of a long document. "I apologize." they added.

"No, no... I called you as soon as the attacker came. I knew what she wanted, and I was nowhere near the security button. She held my ECHO device while I talked." he explained, pushing his nose back into the stack of papers before him.

"I am glad you are not / shaken by this event. / Bold attacks are rare." Zer0 said, then decided it'd be best to stop being so insufferably chatty. They were never the type to start a conversation, but here they were.

"Yeah... Geez. Thank you, again." Rhys placed a hand on Zer0's plated shoulder with a tired, almost loopy grin. "You're a life saver."

"I would call myself / literally anything / else. You're way too kind." Zer0 replied with a playful hint to their voice. Rhys caught the hint easily.

"Lorelei called you Coffee Bringer that one time." Rhys faltered, his eyes widening in recollection. "Oh, right... About her." He rubbed at his neck with his cybernetic arm.

"What _about_ her, Rhys?" Zer0 tilted their head slightly, remembering exactly what had happened between Lorelei and them.

"You like her, right?" Rhys asked hesitantly.

Zer0 stepped back, if not slightly. "What now? Of course not. / Her work is impressive. / I have no interest." They brung themself back to Rhys, watching the human's relieved expression. "I was taken by / surprise, mostly. She killed well. / Don't misunderstand."

"Good... That clears up a lot." he laughed stiffly, clenching and unclenching his fist in a fit of anxiety. Classic Rhys.

For some reason, Zer0's hearts longed for more contact with this human.

**__**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is now up!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After trying to teach Rhys self defense, Zer0 slips into confessing their feelings. Things go surprisingly well.

Zer0 knew from the start that Rhys had a thing for them. After all the years they'd spent together, Zer0 was finally coming to terms with how they felt. Rhys was a joy to be around; he was open. That nervous, yet ambitious man knew how to pull at their heartstrings.

"I want to teach you / self defense. It's important. / You have none to use." Zer0 told Rhys, displaying a bright red **" >_<"** in front of their helmet.

"I know, I know... But I just can't. I'm too much of a wimp and too busy trying to get these papers off my desk to do anything else." The stressed man flicked through multiple papers of a packet, both front and back sides riddled with a lengthy contract agreement. He had grown bitter ever since he got back to working.

"That can wait, you know." Zer0 started, watching with a **"?"** as Rhys fumbled with and ultimately dropped a pile of papers, scattering them over the floor in a panic.

Zer0 shuffled over and organized them, noticing the confused look from Rhys.

Zer0’s hearts skipped a beat at the way Rhys’ eyes turned doughy. “No offense, but you / have a weak heart. This is bad. / You’re a pushover.” Zer0 noted, unsheathing their sword. The glowing blade made Rhys jump back, eyes locked on the signature weapon.

“Um… Zer0, we’re not on bad terms, are we? I-I’m sure we can work it out—”

“I will not harm you. / You will use this for training.” Zer0 expertly turned the blade around in their hand, holding the handle towards Rhys. The man looked up from his papers, eyeing the grip with a sheepish gaze.

It was the opposite, actually. Zer0’s usually muted feelings were racing wildly in their mind, finally coming alive after all those years of stagnancy.

“Knowing my clumsy self, I might just break it.” Rhys made no effort to move from his desk. Zer0 approached slowly, the hum of their sword amplifying as it slid through the air. Rhys, again, took his eyes off the papers to watch the luminescent blade. Zer0 nudged the handle against the corner of his desk.

“What do you wait for?” they asked, cocking their head to the side curiously.

“Look, I… I have a lot of work to do.” Rhys shook his head hesitantly, still keeping his eyes on Zer0’s extended weapon. “I’m sorry.”

Zer0 knew Rhys was internally jumping at a chance to hold their sword. He was lying through his teeth. Zer0 projected **“:/”** as the two stood in a tense quietude.

After a long moment of silence, Zer0’s hand still offering, Rhys let out a defeated sigh. “Okay… All right. I’ll do it.” The frowning face on Zer0’s helmet transitioned to an open-mouthed grin, **":D"**. Rhys stood from his seat and wrapped his hand around the grip to Zer0’s sword. The thin padding on the underside melded with his palm. His fingertips brushed Zer0’s and he noticed that their grip was firm.

“I’m not gonna be good at this.” Rhys warned, gently taking the weapon from Zer0’s grasp.

“Well, obviously.” they let Rhys get a feel for the blade before stepping behind him, gripping his forearms gently. Rhys froze up in front of them, locking his muscles on instinct. “I can't teach you if you’re tense. / Relax. Calm yourself.”

“No no, it’s not that, I just…” Rhys started, but never finished. Zer0 could feel his heartbeat thundering under their touch. Rhys took a breath, his hands shaking, and he slowly steadied the sword. Zer0 guided him into a stance that looked good on him; one that was difficult to stay in for long.

“Wait, wait, won’t I be handling guns more? I run a gun manufacturing company for crying out loud.. Why are you teaching me to hold your sword? I’m not a professional samurai like you.”

“I use guns as well. / This way is much more fun, though. / I’m quite the ninja.”

“You sure are.” Rhys laughed nervously, his voice shaking. He subtly leaned into Zer0’s touch, back against their chest.

“Your warmth is... pleasing.” was all Zer0 could say in response. Rhys froze up again, going rigid. His face flushed a deep crimson. “Humans are usually warm. / But you are different.”

“H-How am I different?” Rhys out the sword down and accidentally sliced into the floor, leaving a glowing mark etched into the wood.

“I apologize. / I’m not used to expressing / feelings like these ones.” Zer0’s faceplate lit up with an emoticon.

**“...”**

“What do you mean?” Rhys asked, a sliver of hope shimmering in his multicolored eyes.

“I won't be cool once / you know how I really feel. / Anticipation.” Zer0 pulled back from Rhys, giving the human some space. It took a little while to click in Rhys’ mind. When the realization struck him, he let out a gasp.

“You… like me? Like _that?_ ” he asked excitedly, completely dropping Zer0’s digistructed sword to put his hands to his mouth.

Zer0 went silent, projecting a dim **“:(”** onto the front of their mask.

“You don’t feel the same? / I understand. My kind—”

Cutting them off, Rhys rushed forward and enveloped the assassin in a sentimental embrace. Zer0's voice, and all of their breath for that matter, had caught in their throat. Of course Rhys’ hugs had to be tight and passionate. Before this, Zer0 was nervous about the human’s reaction.

Now they had nothing to worry about.

“Ever since the day we met, I’ve wanted to do this.” Rhys pulled away and reached up to grip the sides of Zer0’s helmet, looking into a pitch black abyss that seemed to look back. The metal of his Atlas prosthetic arm scraped against the side of Zer0's armor.

He slowly pressed his lips to where another pair would be, even though all he felt was the cool polycarbonate against him. His eyelids were lit up by a red glow, and he pulled away to find Zer0 displaying an erratically flickering **“ <3!”**

Rhys looked giddy. "...But on your face, of course. Not your mask."

“May I speak to you?” Zer0 asked almost hurriedly, maintaining their iconic haiku format. They cleared their throat a little, “I mean, my natural voice. / No more restrictions.”

“Oh, of course you can. You know that.” Rhys answered.

Zer0, again, went quiet. They were starting to overthink this.

"I'm not used to this. / These feelings inside of me. / They're going crazy." they resorted to saying, too flustered to get out of their haiku formatting. Talking without haiku was a personal thing for them.

"If you're uncomfortable, don't do it. I'm just happy that you're here with me." Rhys reached up to scratch awkwardly at the back of his neck.

Zer0 nodded, bouncing gently on their toes.

"Thank you." Their mask displayed a relieved **":)".**

**.**

Months had passed ever since Zer0 confessed their panicking feelings. The two of them were trying something new with romance. One could say they were.. Dating.. As much as Rhys tried to ignore the flush heating his entire face when someone said the word.

Rhys usually spent his time in his office, going through papers like usual. Only this time, Zer0 had more jobs and they usually stayed with Rhys at Atlas HQ during downtimes.

On said downtimes, Zer0 considered unmasking themself. They hadn't looked another creature directly in the eyes for centuries.

Rhys was no longer being attacked by vengeful Maliwan assassins. Not with his own assassin staying at the HQ. There were a few bandits on the outskirts that Zer0 could happily snipe from the city, but other than that, nothing here compared to Pandora and its carnivorous wildlife.

As they looked out into the dreary outskirts of Promethea, they felt a shy tap on their shoulder. They reached for their sword on instinct but decided against it. They knew who was behind them. The assassin and former Vault Hunter turned to find Rhys with a blush rising to his face.

"Whatcha' doing up here?" Rhys asked with a small hint of uncertainty, as if he were being cautious. Who wouldn't be? This person could kill someone without a glance.

"I'm contemplating." they said flatly. Rhys gave them a concerned look. They quickly amended, "I have not felt uncertainty / in a long time." They turned their faceplate over to Rhys and projected a **":- >"** at him.

"About what?" Rhys prodded.

"I don't want you to / be uneasy if I show / you what's underneath." They tapped a finger on the front of their faceplate. Rhys' eyes lit up with a child-like curiosity. Zer0's hearts fluttered at that.

"Well, I'm... I've always wanted to know, sure, but I figured you liked your privacy." Rhys shrugged with a weak smile. Zer0 stood from the Atlas roof and climbed down into Rhys' office. When Rhys followed them down, he found the assassin scanning the room for cameras. Luckily, Rhys had none about.

"Make sure the door is / locked. I will not hesitate / to kill witnesses." they watched as Rhys scrambled over to the fast travel station and locked it up, closing the doors to his office for better measure. He turned expectantly, only to find Zer0 reaching up to loosen their helmet.

After many hidden clips and buckles were undone, Zer0 pulled the mask from their head...

And Rhys was stunned.

Zer0's natural skin was a sleek raven black with faint navy blue undertones. Squiggling markings of bright cerulean pulsed with light around the sides of their neck and the jutting crest at the top of their head. They had two sets of bright ocean eyes, both of which having no pupils to focus on. The top set was larger than the bottom set. Their outer mouth was of four blunt puzzle-piece fangs that hardened under alien skin.

The profile of their face was flat, save for a faint bump where a nose would be. Instead of a nose, they had two little triangle shaped nostrils. The same thing applied to their 'ears'. They had no ears, except for two diamond shaped slots at the side of their head, armored by a long piece of chitin that grew upwards from their chin.

As Rhys was gawking, he faintly heard Zer0 speaking. The voice modulator of their helmet was gone now, allowing a crisp sound to come from behind their mandibles.

"Tell me what you see. / Will you remain my ally, / or will you leave me?"

Rhys looked at them, blinked, then rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He reached up mindlessly, but stopped when Zer0 recoiled from his hand. Their hairless brow caved in a little, leaving a crease between their milky eyes.

"Sorry. But of course not. I won't leave because of something like this. You look..." His eyes softened with fondness, "You look good. You're pretty cute." He resumed his earlier movement, pressing a hand to the cool skin of Zer0's angled cheek.

It was Zer0's turn to blink this time. The top set of eyes went first, then the bottom.

"You mean it?" Zer0 muttered, breaking the haiku format on accident. Their voice was much more relaxed than usual.

Rhys chuckled and pressed their foreheads together. He leaned forward and allowed a kiss between them, feeling Zer0's smaller fangs nudge against his lips. He pulled back to find Zer0 nearly trembling in their suit, eyes flitting back and forth from Rhys to the side.

"Of course I mean it." Rhys nuzzled their chin with a smile.

.

Hammerlock and Wainwright had gotten married the next day later. The two were living happily together aboard Sanctuary. Zer0 and Rhys attended their party, which consisted of a rare formal dinner and leisurely runner rides across the swamps of Eden-6.

Sanctuary was being occupied by the current Vault Hunters. Ava was doing all right running the ship and Ellie continued her search for new vehicle parts.

Zer0 felt as if they'd be fine for a long while.

**__**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


End file.
